Lost: Season 5

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 426 Ratings

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8.6

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8.6	Your Score
8.6	User Score Universal acclaim based on 426 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

ABC | Season Premiere Date: January 21, 2009

Starring: Daniel Dae Kim, Rebecca Mader, Jorge Garcia

Summary: The answers to when/where did the island go and how Locke died are to be answered this season as the show approaches the end of the series (slated for 2010).

Creator: Damon Lindelof and J.J. Abrams and Jeffrey Lieber

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Suspense, Science Fiction

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Season 5 Episodes

tbd
S5:E17. The Incident (2)
Air Date: May 13, 2009
tbd
S5:E16. The Incident (1)
Air Date: May 13, 2009
tbd
S5:E15. Follow the Leader
Air Date: May 6, 2009

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

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Critic Reviews

100

Robert Bianco

This is an epic big-screen adventure done for the small screen--and done in a way that makes most big-screen versions pale in comparison. Read full review

100

Ken Tucker

What's great about the series this season is that you can dive deep into its familiar-yet-fresh bubbling stew of physics, ? numerology, and smoke monsters...or you can just skim across its blinding-sun surface, grooving on the thwarted romances, ?the time-shifting nosebleeds, and how great Kate looks in a business power suit and heels. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Lost nevertheless approaches its twists with what appears to be a greater degree of intellectual rigor than almost anything else on primetime. Read full review

Micah Towery

The show's flashback/forward structure has provided an interesting commentary on the relationship between time and narrative, but it also struggles against its 40-minute playing time and the expectations of a weekly network audience. Read full review

Verne Gay

The season's premiere represents pig-in-the-python storytelling--there's so much to work through, so many details, stories, characters and time dimensions to attend to, that after a while this all starts to feel like a very full meal. Read full review

Rob Owen

The episode is a fast-moving two hours that answers enough questions to satisfy fans and raises still more questions in an effort to further the intrigue. Read full review

Heather Havrilesky

The truth is, for someone who thinks Lost is wildly overrated, I'm still rallying around it, in part because I think it should gain momentum in its home stretch, in part because I'm curious about how thoroughly the writers will clean up the enormous, unfathomably complicated mess they've made. Read full review

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User Score

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8.6

User Reviews

LouisM

Jan 7, 2010

The best TV show ever. It is surreal beyond anything ever seen on TV. It is addictive, mythical, engaging, intriguing, fascinating, thrilling, confusing and tense. It has complex character development, beautiful scenery and a story which has completely captured my imagination.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

KenD

Apr 6, 2009

This is hands down the most entertaining thing on TV. Lost requires an investment of staying with the show and not missing and episode, but it's well worth it. There are so many pay offs and wonderful scenes and interactions. While it is easy to have a favorite character it is also This is hands down the most entertaining thing on TV. Lost requires an investment of staying with the show and not missing and episode, but it's well worth it. There are so many pay offs and wonderful scenes and interactions. While it is easy to have a favorite character it is also easy to switch favorites as you get to know them and the layers are peeled back. MINOR SPOILER... Sawyer really comes into his own this season and demonstrates how one of my least favorites can be seen in a new light as we learn more about them.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

tvbuff

Jan 12, 2011

I've had the benefit of watching the DVD sets having never seen a single episode beforehand and only hearing things in passing. I can keep up better with no commercials or weekly and seasonal breaks. While 4 was a bit of a downer 5 was better for me. There is some letdown when you come toI've had the benefit of watching the DVD sets having never seen a single episode beforehand and only hearing things in passing. I can keep up better with no commercials or weekly and seasonal breaks. While 4 was a bit of a downer 5 was better for me. There is some letdown when you come to find out some secrets of the island aren't as mysterious as we're led to believe. I'm halfway through 6 and a couple of characters I held in high regard are downright mortal after all.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JonathanF

Jan 21, 2009

Insanely good television.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

TheApplegnome

Oct 3, 2015

Lost never fails to deliver, neither does this fifth installment.

Boring? Never! This fifth season got a higher tempo and a big character mix. We see new sides to our characters, new combinations and even more development. The amazing and inventive plot continues on new paths, and theLost never fails to deliver, neither does this fifth installment.

Boring? Never! This fifth season got a higher tempo and a big character mix. We see new sides to our characters, new combinations and even more development. The amazing and inventive plot continues on new paths, and the show keeps revealing new twists and turns. That’s one of the main reasons why ‘Lost’ never feels boring nor less-exciting! We still get new unanswered questions but it’s also fun to get some of the old mysteries answered. Even smaller aspects that began in season one. The show has on the other hand begun to become aware that it really is superb, and therefor it might try “too hard” at certain places when it comes to action and storytelling. But it’s still awesome, even though it also is a bit predictable and the CGI still needs more work. It might also have lost some of the very strong character development that the fourth season had, but it’s still stunning and very enjoyable! This continuation is more high-paced and full of nuanced storytelling and it really is the best so far, even though it’s not as flawless as season four with it’s stronger focus on character development.

Personal rating for each episode: 8.72
(+0.21 since S04)

Personal rating: 9/10
Critical rating: 9.5/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TNF1343

Feb 4, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While I feel Season 4 of Lost found a perfect balance between character moments and plot, the 5th Season seems to gravitate towards the latter. It's hard to fault the writers too much though. They handle the convoluted time travel issue with great mastery. If Lost was a lesser show, the time travelling would be jumbled and possibly even unnecessary. But ironically, the biggest complaint weighed against Lost (its lack of explanation), is turned on its head, making Season 5 another noteworthy Season in Lost's impressive run.

Disappointingly though, the first half of the Season isn't all about the interesting time travelling trek across the island. We're also given a separate, less interesting tale about how the Oceanic Six made it back to the island. It's really quite madcap when I look back on it with full 20/20 vision; it had a bit too much of Jack, Kate, Sayid, Hurley, and Sun running around doing few meaningful things. And one of the more frustrating moments of Lost came when Ben gave Sun Jin's ring to prove that he's alive. Doesn't that prove... the exact opposite?

I did say above that Season 5 benefits from being more forward with the audience, but I have to say, keeping Desmond and Claire away from us was downright annoying. Desmond's given little screen-time in his quest to find Faraday's mother, and I don't believe we had a single scene with Claire this Season after her peculiar appearance in the cabin last year.

Anyhow, the story picks up when the Oceanic Six (or five) make it back to the island. Sawyer, Juliet, Faraday and Miles were all perfectly happy in the three years they spent tin the 1970s. Jack and co. had good intentions, but they ended up making life worse for them in the end. The relationship between Sawyer and Juliet is shocking when I first heard of it, but it's retroactively believable. And even after the death of Juliet, I hope this squashes the love triangle involving Sawyer, Kate, and Jack, as it was one of the series' weakest and generic aspects.

Most of the Season's best moments are on island, with one exception: "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham". John Locke episodes tend to be the best, and unfortunately, this may be last considering that we saw Locke's corpse again in the finale. This exceptional episode follows John as he tries and fails to convince the Oceanic Six to come back. Hoping his suicide would be the only way to save the island, he is stopped, then promptly strangled by Ben Linus after giving up some key information. The episode sadly fits John Locke's life off the island. It's spot on -- he even has another wheelchair! -- and an appropriately sad end to Locke's life... or so it seems. You can never tell with this damn show.

I was definitely fooled by the new John Locke. I though that death at the hands of Ben had Locke become a new person, no longer falling for his deception. It now appears, that this Locke is a manifestation of the smoke monster, getting revenge on Jacob. It's undoubtedly connected to the man talking to Jacob at the beginning of "The Incident", if he's not smokie himself.

The Season once again provides us with a breath-taking finale. First of all, the variable vs. the constant was handled deftly. After Faraday's random change in heart on the past, Jack thoroughly believes he can prevent the plane from ever crashing. His determination is so strong, that not even the chance of never meeting Kate changes his mind. Jack's obsession with fixing things is at its boiling point here. Whether Faraday's plot worked or not is a question that will be left for next Season. I do doubt, however, that the final Season will take place entirely off the island.

Regardless of some of the flaws, this Season builds a great narrative. It's genuinely amazing to see so many loose ends covered, along with new developments. It's clear that the pieces of the final puzzle are beginning to fall into place. The sixth and final chapter of Lost is going to be one hell of a ride.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Ravenous

Nov 19, 2010

Absolutely fantastic first season. The premise was unique and fascinating, and the ensemble cast was wonderful. I honestly couldn't believe how good this show was. I was hooked, but then their best writer left after season 1, and they proceeded to make those OTHER seasons. The fact is thatAbsolutely fantastic first season. The premise was unique and fascinating, and the ensemble cast was wonderful. I honestly couldn't believe how good this show was. I was hooked, but then their best writer left after season 1, and they proceeded to make those OTHER seasons. The fact is that the remaining writers never even came close to recapturing the clever storytelling of season 1. The additions to the cast starting in season 2 were all disasters, and from that season onward the writers just seemed to have no solid direction whatsoever for the story. By the end of the series, it established itself as one of the greatest disappointments in television history.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

SEE ALL 41 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

84

Series Overview
Season 6

tbd
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: February 2, 2010
Season 5

78
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: January 21, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E17. The Incident (2)
  Air Date: May 13, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E16. The Incident (1)
  Air Date: May 13, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E15. Follow the Leader
  Air Date: May 6, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E14. The Variable
  Air Date: April 29, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E13. Some Like It Hoth
  Air Date: April 15, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E12. Dead is Dead
  Air Date: April 8, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E11. Whatever Happened, Happened
  Air Date: April 1, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E10. He's Our You
  Air Date: March 25, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E9. Namaste
  Air Date: March 18, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E8. LaFleur
  Air Date: March 4, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E7. The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
  Air Date: February 25, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E6. 316
  Air Date: February 18, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E5. This Place is Death
  Air Date: February 11, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E4. The Little Prince
  Air Date: February 4, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E3. Jughead
  Air Date: January 28, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E2. The Lie
  Air Date: January 21, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E1. Because You Left
  Air Date: January 21, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E0. Lost: Destiny Calls
  Air Date: January 21, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E0. Lost: The Story of the Oceanic 6
  Air Date: April 22, 2009
- tbd
  S5:E0. Lost: A Journey in Time
  Air Date: May 13, 2009
Season 4

87
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: January 31, 2008
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: October 4, 2006
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: September 21, 2005
Season 1

86
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 22, 2004